Minnesota Wild creates Jessi Pierce media award to honor late reporter

The Minnesota Wild and the reporters covering the team have announced the creation of the Jessi Pierce Media Award, an initiative honoring the memory of reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children, Hudson, Cayden and Avery.

As NHL.com reports, the award will be voted on by the media covering the Wild and presented each year to the player who shows the most professionalism, openness and respect in his relationship with the local media. General manager Bill Guerin said the award symbolizes something bigger than hockey, honoring the warmth, kindness and generosity Pierce brought to the sports environment.

Pierce and her three children lost their lives in a house fire on March 21, 2026; Monday would have been her 39th birthday. The network of reporters who followed the team described her as someone with an infectious smile and genuine curiosity, who knew how to build an open rapport with players and coaches. They said her absence is felt every day and that the award will keep alive her role in covering the Wild.

Pierce had spent years in sports media and in audio and visual projects: she co-hosted the “Bardown Beauties” podcast, appeared on local fan programs and wrote for a range of sports publications. Her contributions, and the reaction to her loss, were also covered by NHL.com.